Newsletter Winter 2017 Edition from Our Chairperson the Winter Solstice (21St June) Has to Avoid Any Misunderstanding 2
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Newsletter Winter 2017 edition From our Chairperson The Winter Solstice (21st June) has To avoid any misunderstanding 2. Cutting team – mowing and edg- appreciation to our dedicated and come and gone, so at least from about the duties and responsi- ing of private garden lawns and hard-working Garden Committee now on our daylight hours will bilities of the garden service staff, blowing grass cuttings off paved Members – it is truly fabulous and gradually start increasing and our please note that they are not re- areas in the private garden. rewarding to work with such com- nights will get shorter. We have sponsible for the private gardens of 3. Private gardener – available, at mitted and positive people. certainly experienced some frost a unit i.e. gardens enclosed by the a small fee, to do any garden- already and there is bound to be picket fence of a unit. To clarify, related work in a private gar- Sid has resigned as an active mem- more before the end of winter. It is the garden service staff are respon- den. Such work must be carried ber of our committee. We thank not advisable to start cutting back sible for the following: out under the supervision of the him for his positive contributions! frost-damaged plants and shrubs at 1. Gardening team – no work is Owner or Resident. Bookings this stage. The correct time to cut done in any private garden by for the private gardener can be Kind regards and happy back is early spring, once the dan- these staff members; they only made at Reception. gardening! ger of more frost has passed. work in common area gardens. As always, my sincere thanks and Doreen Read all about Meet the committee Antoinette’s We have composted all the com- garden in Doreen Dennehy Unit 41 5243 A BIG thank you to the following our next issue Louise (Lu) Penberthy Unit 163 5389 mon area gardens and at the begin- Owners/Residents who made Margie Lockwood Unit 133 5451 ning of September we shall be put- donations of plants, pots etc. to the Beryl Taylor Unit 161 5388 ting lawn dressing on all common Garden Committee for use in the Jim Taylor Unit 161 5388 area lawns. Also, at the beginning common areas: Thersia Tait Unit 47 5227 of September, Sonia from Efekto • Frank & Merrill Peachey – unit 67 Monica Hall Unit 436 5209 (who gave a very interesting talk • Maureen Adams – unit 51 • Harvey & Philippa Hemmingway – unit 36 Di Main Unit 57 5125 about pesticides at the recent Gar- den Tea) will give a talk on fertilis- • John & Di Main – unit 57 • Martin & Margie Lockwood – unit 133 ers. In particular she will discuss • Pieter & Yvonne Kritzinger – unit 156 what the numbers on the bags of • Rosemary Woolley – unit 129 Inside... fertiliser mean and what is needed • Alan & Lyn Sharp – unit 37 and best suited to fertilise lawns, • Brian & Angela Lawlor – unit 8 Shrubs of the Quarter 2 Garlic 3 flowers, leaves, roots etc. The date • Johan & Thersia Tait – unit 47 and time of this talk will be advised • Mary-Ann Crocker – unit 85 Village Trees 4 Seen Around / Pot ideas 5 • Antoinette Dreyer – unit360 shortly but it will be a Thursday or • Mandy Green – unit 303 Autumn Tea 6 Garden Couch / Fairies? 7 Friday morning. Tinnea Tecoma Shrubs of the Quarter barbata capensis This superb little shrub is (Cape honeysuckle or Bauhinia Plumbago related to salvias. The deli- Kaapsekanferfoelie) cate deep purple-blue flow- A glossy leaved ever- galpinii auriculata ers dangling from erect green shrub with flow- (Pride-of-De- (Cape leadwort or branches like little ornaments are this shrub’s ers pollinated by sunbirds, in pale yellow, Kaap or Vlam- blousyselbos) best feature. This multi-stemmed, woody, fiery orange, salmon or bright red from sum- van-die Vlakte) If you are more at- perennial shrub can reach a height of 3 m, mer through to midwinter. Rich in nectar, What a gorgeous tracted to the cooler but usually only achieves half that height in the flowers also attract honeybees, butter- and extremely useful shrub or scrambler. colours of blue or white, you cannot go wrong a garden. The leaves are hairy, dull to dark flies and sugarbirds. Plant in a sunny posi- Because of the spreading nature of this easy in planting this evergreen, fast growing ram- green and paler underneath. The plant has a tion and compost these fast growing shrubs to care for plant it can be used as a screening bling shrub. The long woody stems carry long flowering period through summer with well. To create a stunning border or hedge plant, cut to form an informal hedge or left light-green leaves and terminal sprays of pale showy, deep blue or pale to dark mauve flow- interplant with plumbago, crossberry or to cover an unattractive area in the garden. blue flowers with extra-long slender flower ers centred with bright yellow stamens.While wild jasmine. As well as being easy to grow, The leathery light green leaves and bright tubes. A white variety called P. auriculata not quite free-flowering, the flowers are scat- Tecoma is drought and wind resistant. To orchid-like flowers in salmon pink to brick Alba is also widely available. Hybrids pro- tered attractively over the shrub as they are keep the plant in a neat shape, prune back red makes this one of our most beautiful ducing deep dark blue to purple flowers are borne at the ends of the many branches. T. after the autumn flowers have faded. Propa- indigenous shrubs. This fast-growing plant available at specialist garden centers. These barbatais is relatively slow growing and can gate by cuttings or lift rooted runners. can tolerate drought and wind and grows plants prefer full sun but the white variety be regarded as rare because of its extreme- well in any type of soil in full sun, but adding will tolerate shady conditions. The plants ly restricted distribution. Plant in a warm, plenty of compost will always ensure more can be clipped into a formal hedge or allow sunny or even semi-shaded position in rich, rewarding results. Bauhinia galpinii plants them to scramble over a support to form a well-drained, composted soil. The shrub can are evergreen under favourable conditions screen. Butterflies and birds are attracted also be planted in a small or medium pot for and flower from October to May. Propa- by the flowers in summer. Water in summer patios or verandas in good light conditions. gate from semi-hardwood cuttings and seed but keep the plants fairly dry in winter. Feed The plant responds well to pruning for shape soaked in hot water overnight. Once mature, regularly with slow release or organic fertil- in late winter. It propagates easily from seed, the plant will self-seed and the seedlings can izer. Propagate by lifting the rooted suckers but is best not kept too wet. Regular feeding be harvested. and replanting them in well composted soil. with both general or organic fertilizer will keep the foliage healthy and green. Page 2 Allium Sativum MAKE EVERY DROP COUNT Its close relatives - from colds and ‘flu, acne, hair loss, high In an effort to maintain a culture of vehicles. The council will impose strict include the Onion, blood pressure as well as heart disease and water conservation, residents should fines on transgressors. As we are now Leek, Chive and cancer. According to the National Cancer please take note of the following: in the middle of the winter please ad- Chinese Onion. Institute, garlic’s antibacterial properties The Members of the Board, Village just your irrigation systems as gardens Garlic has a history block the formation and activation of free Management and the Garden Commit- do not need the frequent watering re- spanning several radicals. tee are making an urgent appeal to each quired during the summer months. thousand years - it was known to the ancient Garlic’s sulphur compound Allicin and every resident in the Village to se- Please do not water your kikuyu lawns Egyptians and used as a food flavouring and binds breast cell receptors and prevents the riously start saving water. The grant of as the grass needs to die down for a traditional medicine. Garlic is native to Cen- action of cancer agents. Allicin is released 6 kilo litres of free water per unit every resting period during the winter. tral Asia and North-eastern Iran, but is now when the fresh clove is crushed. month will stop at the end of June 2017 cultivated world-wide. Garlic has been proved to reduce both and from the 1st of July 2017 the water Mulch your plants as it will help to retain Allium Sativum is a bulbous plant chest infections and the duration thereof. usage in the Village will be billed from moisture as well as serve as insulation to growing up to 1.2 metres in height. It pro- Daily intake of garlic greatly improves the the very first litre of water used, thus protect plants against the lower temper- duces hermaphodite non-descript flowers immune system. almost doubling the monthly water bill atures. Keep a bucket in the shower and which are pollinated by bees and other in- The active compounds in garlic can from Joburg Water. in the kitchen to catch the first flush of sects. It is easily grown and can be cultivated significantly reduce blood pressure. Please cold water to use on your plants. year round in mild climates. Propagation is note though, garlic might reduce platelet Residents should note that the cost of the by planting individual cloves close together.